Over the past few years, notebook computers have become progressively thinner and lighter, and battery technology has improved significantly; but, though both thinner and lighter, notebook computers have incorporated ever-more powerful CPU's, larger and higher resolution screens, more memory and higher capacity hard disk drives. Feature-rich models include a number of peripherals such as high-speed CD-ROM drives, DVD drives, fax/modem capability, and a multitude of different plug-in PC cards. Each of these features and improvements creates demand for power from system batteries. Many portable electronics, such as MP3 players and personal digital assistants, now use rotatable data storage devices as well, and by their nature and size place great demands for power on batteries.
Many manufacturers of rotatable data storage devices reduce demand on batteries by employing power savings schemes; for example, many manufacturers ramp down and stop a rotating storage medium after a period of inactivity. This scheme comes at a cost to performance—the medium must be spun up from standstill before information can be accessed from the medium.